Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think I give the benefit of the doubt in these cases because the first story I heard like this was about a couple. The wife usually dropped the child off at day care. One morning she was sick, so the husband said he would drop the baby off for her on his way to work. He got in the car and drove to work. At lunch time, he called his wife to see how she was feeling. She told him she was feeling a bit better and asked if their son had given him any trouble when he dropped him off at day care. Suddenly he remembered. He ran outside to his car, but it was too late.
It was a break from routine and he had just driven to work on auto-pilot. It was a horrible tragedy. The next case I read about was similar because it was also a break from routine. I guess that is why I usually give the benefit of the doubt.
I can see how a break from tasks routinely done...such as dropping a baby off, could be forgotten when your preoccupied with other things. When you get distracted the brain goes into autonomous mode...in this case, yes...there will be benefit of the doubt rendered.
This happened to a co-worker many years ago. The maintenance man decided to go out to the back area of the building and discovered a boy sleeping in the car seat. He was in there for about 1 hour. The mother was hysterical about the whole thing. They decided to give her some time off and when I think about it, she was a person who seemed to be under a lot of stress and was always rushing about.
I can see how a break from tasks routinely done...such as dropping a baby off, could be forgotten when your preoccupied with other things.
There was a UC Irvine professor who mistakenly left his 10-month old in his car seat in the back seat of his car in 2003. This could probably happen to anyone. I can't imagine what the parent must endure, living with this tragedy for the rest of his or her life.
You wonder if there's been an increase in these types of accidents since car seats were required to be in the back seat of the car. (When our oldest was a baby, the law allowed car seats in the front with the driver.)
What is particulary interesting about these cases is the decisions whether to press charges, and if so, what charges. The situation in each case is the same, a helpless child is dead, in a horrible fashion.
I have seen the range from no charges filed, to manslaughter and felony child abuse. While each case has it's own unique circumstances, I can't help but wonder what, if any factor race plays in this situation. That is why I feel like some circumstances like this should have mandatory charges, after all, a child is dead.
If it were indeed an accident, I would think having to live with the fact that your carelessness caused the death of your own child would be worse than anything the courts could do to you.
Truthfully, there should be mandatory parenting classes for people to make them aware of the many mistakes made that end up in child injury or death. I remember my own mom telling me to never get in or out of the car without checking the backseat. She was referring to predators....but it was sound advice for any parent as well. I'm sorry for people who go through life everyday without any real teaching whatsoever in how to avoid the many pitfalls.
There was a UC Irvine professor who mistakenly left his 10-month old in his car seat in the back seat of his car in 2003. This could probably happen to anyone. I can't imagine what the parent must endure, living with this tragedy for the rest of his or her life.
You wonder if there's been an increase in these types of accidents since car seats were required to be in the back seat of the car. (When our oldest was a baby, the law allowed car seats in the front with the driver.)
That minimizes the danger I believe!
While I agree that accidents such as this could happen without malicious intent...I still don't understand how and why...after all we hear about the danger of forgetting ones child in the car, do these cases still persist? The grave responsibility parents have is to ensure that their loved ones are safe no matter the preoccupation with other things. Isn't it instinctive for parents to see to it that their children are out of harm's way or are we that preoccupied and self-absorbed nowadays???
What is particulary interesting about these cases is the decisions whether to press charges, and if so, what charges. The situation in each case is the same, a helpless child is dead, in a horrible fashion.
That is the sad reality of it...no matter what the court decision...a helpless human being is dead, and in most cases..."babies" who couldn't fend for themselves.
Too many people talking on their cell phones...which is why that commercial said to leave your cell phone with your baby in the car...won't forget the cell phone...or if you did...you would go back to your car in five minutes...and there would be baby, with cell phone....
Babies usually fall asleep in the car, especially on a warm day.
I speculate that people marry and are just expected to reproduce. It is considered an exception if a woman decides to go child free. I think very few women kill their babies but a lot have repressed hostility towards them due to the awful complications they add to life. This resentment can cause 'accidents'. Why do women go through with pregnancies when they are undecided about wanting children?
I speculate that people marry and are just expected to reproduce. It is considered an exception if a woman decides to go child free. I think very few women kill their babies but a lot have repressed hostility towards them due to the awful complications they add to life. This resentment can cause 'accidents'. Why do women go through with pregnancies when they are undecided about wanting children?
I think you're right. You just never know what's lurking in the mind of someone, their unconscious stuff.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
